The way of life in Banat and Bačka differed under Ottoman rule and after their expulsion, up until the late 18th century. People initially lived in small settlements, but with colonization and land distribution, successful farming created the necessity for farmsteads (salaši).
Novi Bečej is a small town that, before liberation, was considered a town with about 7,000 inhabitants. And when you consider that many of its residents engaged in literature over a period of just about 30 years, and most of them wrote poetry, it can be boldly said that there was a real poetic school in Novi Bečej. Especially when you take into account that a group of the local youth at the time, part of its young intelligentsia, wrote poems as if by some mutual agreement, and some even by an explicit agreement — so much so that they almost literally formed a genuine poetic school.
He was, heart and soul, bound to Vojvodina. However, those who ingratiated themselves with politicians, receiving authority and promotion to influence the cultural development of the province, saw his dedication as intrusive.
May 14–15, 1993
After months of preparation and searching for the right concept and content, the first Days of Josif Marinković – “Horizons on the Tisa” were held on May 14 and 15, 1993, at the Workers’ Hall “Jovan Veselinov Žarko” in Novi Bečej.
Across 13,500 cadastral acres and with 40 members, the association recorded the following game bag:
1,571 hares, 420 partridges, 36 quails, 128 wild pigeons,
87 wild geese, 74 wild ducks, 17 starlings, 3 foxes,
6 polecats, 8 weasels, 12 hawks, 240 goshawks,
3 owls, 7 little owls, 46 ravens, 2,576 crows,
104 magpies, 178 shrikes, 4 herons, 25 stray dogs, and 8 stray cats.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” April–May 1932, p. 157)
On 20,000 cadastral acres and with 30 members, the association culled:
523 hares, 720 partridges, 35 quails, 3 cranes, 14 wild geese,
37 wild ducks, 4 foxes, 27 hamsters, 17 hawks, 6 harriers,
750 crows, 45 magpies, 17 domestic dogs and 6 stray cats.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” June 1932, p. 196)
On 13,500 cadastral acres and with 35 members, the following game was recorded:
484 hares, 417 partridges, 62 quails, 1 crane, 67 wild pigeons,
26 sandpipers, 124 wild geese, 279 wild ducks, 27 starlings,
5 polecats, 30 hamsters, 4 hedgehogs, 9 hawks, 121 falcons,
8 owls, 45 ravens, 1,982 crows, 54 magpies, 5 jays,
272 shrikes, 8 herons, 20 stray dogs and 5 stray cats.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” April–July 1934, p. 147)
Thanks to the initiative of Ljubomir Tucakov, a long-standing member of the Union’s board, a reorganization of the hunting societies in Nadalj, Senta, Klek and Kumane was carried out.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” 1934; LSV Monograph, p. 121)
On 14,958 cadastral acres of hunting grounds (7,000 acres under hunting ban), during the 1935 hunting year the association culled a total of 1,611 units of useful game:
820 hares, 163 partridges, 2 quails, 3 cranes,
72 wild pigeons, 110 wild geese, 236 wild ducks.
From harmful mammals, 26 units were recorded:
3 foxes, 5 polecats, 1 weasel, 9 hamsters, 7 hedgehogs.
From harmful birds of prey:
8 hawks, 3 buzzards, 5 owls, 42 ravens, 1,072 crows,
27 magpies, 67 shrikes, 12 herons, 7 storks.
Additionally, 23 stray dogs and 10 stray cats were removed.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” January–February 1936, p. 62; LSV Monograph, p. 125)
On 29,000 cadastral acres and with 40 members, during the 1937 season the association reported:
712 hares, 230 partridges, 7 pheasants, 530 wild ducks,
360 wild geese, 105 dogs and 62 stray cats.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” March–April 1938, p. 140; LSV Monograph, p. 137)
On 18,200 cadastral acres and with 37 hunters, a total of 1,680 units of useful game was recorded:
1,300 hares, 126 partridges, 14 quails, 2 woodcocks,
11 sandpipers, 110 wild ducks, 89 wild geese, and 3 coots.
From unprotected species, the following were culled:
3 foxes, 2 polecats, 1 otter, 24 ground squirrels,
3 buzzards, 2 hawks, 4 harriers, 510 rooks,
20 crows, 12 herons, 4 storks, 2 grebes,
and 70 stray dogs and cats.
(Source: LSV Monograph, p. 137)
At the 16th Regular Annual Assembly of the Hunting Associations’ Union for the Danube Banovina, held on May 8, 1938 in Novi Sad, 110 associations were represented by 115 delegates.
The delegate representing the societies from Kumane and Novi Bečej was Ljubomir Tucakov.
(Source: “Lovački glasnik,” May–June 1938, p. 167)
In the parliamentary elections held on December 11, 1938, among the elected representatives from the Danube Banovina was a hunter from Novi Bečej — Rada Lungulov.
(Source: LSV Monograph, 1992, p. 497)
Fifty years have passed since the day when seven hundred Jews from northern Banat, including one hundred and sixty of our fellow citizens, vanished forever from the banks of the Tisa River near Novi Bečej. They were carried away by the black ships of death into the abyss of annihilation.
At the time of the end of the First World War and the occupation of the regions beyond the Sava and Danube rivers, at the moment when the Serbian army entered Subotica, the Armistice Agreement between the representatives of the Serbian and Hungarian armies was signed in Belgrade on November 13, 1918.
Our prominent writer, Isidora Sekulić, says about the homeland:
“Where is the homeland for people? It’s where others around them understand, completely and deeply, what they say, from the last external and internal tremor of their language, they understand what delights them and what hurts them.
May 31 – June 3, 2000
Open Solo Singing Competition
What could not take place in 1999 due to the NATO bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia — the Open Solo Singing Competition — was successfully held one year later, at the 8th “Horizons on the Tisa,” from May 31 to June 3, 2000.
May 11–13, 1994
The successful organization of the first “Horizons on the Tisa” festival did not go unnoticed in the musical circles of Serbia.
In the harsh conditions of the economic crisis — especially in a year when it reached its peak — the football enthusiasts of Novi Bečej, or perhaps even better described as fanatics, organized a true football spectacle in 1932. That year, they managed to bring the multiple national champion, the Belgrade Sports Club (BSK), to Novi Bečej.
Janos Mesaros entered the stage of naïve art in the early 1960s. As a young and talented painter, he became a member of the group of naïve artists “Selo” founded in Novi Bečej by Dragiša Bunjevački. Alongside Bunjevački, one of the most remarkable representatives of naïve art in Serbia, the group also included Milica and Milivoj Mirić, Svetozar Kiselički, Tivadar Košut, and Janos Mesaros.
When Laslo Šuranji won the gold medal in shooting at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil, it became clear that his perseverance, determination, and inner strength had truly paid off.
The forerunners of industry were craftsmanship, followed by further division of labor into manufacturing, machine industry, automation, and electronics in further progress. When it comes to Novi Bečej, we should also add mills, dryers, windmills, and oil mills to the aforementioned forerunners, as well as steam sawmills, mills, and brickworks. Unfortunately, that is all the industry with which Novi Bečej and Vranjevo entered the twentieth century.
Old travelogues and Turkish defters indicate that Serbs played a significant role as traders in the regions beyond the Sava and Danube even under the Turks, but very little is known about Serbian craftsmen from that period. Information about them only appears in the 18th century, which doesn't mean that craftsmanship among Serbs didn't exist in those regions much earlier.
The very name of these gatherings suggests that they were created so that women could gather in the autumn and winter evenings to talk about everything that had happened in the village while spinning with a spindle. Once they exhausted the stories of events that had taken place during that time, they would tell folk tales. When the storytellers "ran out" of stories, the conversation would turn to songs, and this cycle continued from one gathering to the next.
It is well known that Novi Bečej, until the mid-19th century, before the construction of the railway lines Temišvar-Kikinda-Segedin, Temišvar-Vršac-Bela Crkva-Bazjaš, was the main trading center for wheat. However, by the second half of the 19th century, it experienced a sharp decline. In this area of economic prosperity, Mr. Kasaš makes a mistake.
On page 15 of the book "Greetings from Novi Bečej," it is written:
"In the second half of the 19th century, these two settlements (referring to Novi Bečej and Vranjevo - LM), using the grain trade boom, became among the most important and significant centers for wheat trade in the entire Austro-Hungarian monarchy, but with deep-rooted traditions from the past. This fact led to the development of a wealthy bourgeois class, and in these places, the construction of mills began, banks opened, and many commercial and craft shops, sawmills, etc., emerged."
A master of watercolor and a guitar virtuoso, Branislav Stojančev—affectionately known to the people of Novi Bečej as Paša—was born in 1952. A lover of art, nature, and the Tisa River, he began his watercolor journey in 2001, dedicating himself to this delicate yet demanding painting technique. Since then, he has embraced its challenges with great success, finding in watercolor a source of peace, inspiration, and inner balance.
After World War I, and likely even earlier, Novi Bečej and Stari Bečej were connected by a small boat named Stari Bečej, which made multiple trips daily between the two towns. I remember that until the establishment of a private high school in Novi Bečej, students from Stari Bečej used this boat to travel to the upper grades of the high school. At that time, Stari Bečej only had a lower-level high school, covering up to the fourth grade.
To successfully achieve the goals and objectives of preschool education, a qualified teaching staff was essential. Former educators with five years of secondary education graduated from the Pedagogical Academy for Educators while working between 1975 and 1979. They took pride in the fact that out of 21 educators, 19 graduated from the Academy.
Immediately after World War II, a Photography Section was formed in Novi Bečej under the People's Technique and the Institute for Agitation and Propaganda. The section consisted of young people who were already directed towards the photographic profession or wanted to study the craft. Among the members were the aforementioned Geza Sakač and Miroslav Tornjanski. Olgica Dragić, born Pušić (1929–2016), a young enthusiast, also made her first contact with photography and photo development there, aspiring to master the skills of the craft.
Based on the prevalence of certain groups of crop cultures, one can become acquainted with the past and present structure of production and determine the production orientation in the upcoming period. In order to comprehensively understand the structure of crop production in the municipality's territory and observe significant changes within it, it is necessary to analyze data from 1965 to 1970 and from 1975 to 1980.
The first parliamentary elections for the Constituent Assembly were called only two years after the unification, at a time when the bourgeoisie believed it had achieved a certain level of international and internal consolidation.
In March 1944, a group of underground fighters spent some time at the farmsteads of Dušan Malešev and Sava Pajić in Korektovo. By mid-March, joined by several more activists, they set out for Fruška Gora.
As previously highlighted, the demand for a unified approach to solving water management issues in the Danube-Tisa-Danube Hydrosystem led, on January 1, 1963, to the incorporation of water associations from the Banat and Bačka regions into the Directorate for the Construction of the Danube-Tisa-Danube Hydrosystem in Novi Sad.
May 25–27, 1995
Open Competition for Solo Singers
After the first two “Horizons on the Tisa,” the organizers began preparations for the third festival with even greater enthusiasm and foresight.
The relief of the Novi Bečej subregion is characterized by all elements common to the relief of northern Banat and the larger part of Vojvodina. Morphologically, the municipality's territory consists of lowlands, with an absolute elevation ranging from 86 to 76 meters.
No more than three or four days had passed since our excursion to the Ivanović estate, and by Sunday, we were off on another one—this time much longer and more exhausting for walking. From Novi Bečej to the Rohonci estate in the Bečej marshland, or as it is known today, Pearl Island, it is at least eight kilometers one way. If you're counting the total distance for both directions, then maybe this trip isn't for you!
The first traces of permanent human settlements in our immediate and wider territory (the settlement of Novi Bečej and its hinterland) appear during the Neolithic (younger Stone Age), extending through the Eneolithic (Copper Age) and reaching the Bronze and Early Iron Age (Hallstatt period), covering the time frame between 3000–1000 BC. The oldest and, to date, the best-researched prehistoric sites in our area based on the discovered archaeological material are Matejski Brod and Borđoš.
Altered economic conditions and the development of productive forces in agriculture are the main reasons for the disappearance of farmhouses. With the reduction of land ownership limits after World War II, first to 20, and then to 10 hectares, farmhouses lose their previous significance in production.
The Tisa River Dam near Novi Bečej is the largest facility of the Danube–Tisa–Danube Hydrosystem. Its primary function is to release water by gravity into the main canal network of Banat, enabling the irrigation of vast agricultural areas and supplying water to other users. In this way, the released water can be used for multiple purposes simultaneously.
After the liberation from the Turks, in Banat, there existed only summer roads for a long time, without a stone surface. The passability of these roads was from spring to autumn. With the first autumn rains, they would become difficult to traverse and were passable only for wagons pulled by good horses or four oxen harnessed to carts.
In the territory of the Novi Bečej subregion, all types and subtypes of soil characteristic for the Banat part of the Potisje region are represented. Therefore, there is a noticeable diversity of soil in the field, characterized by variability, unevenness, and a pronounced intermixing of individual soil types.
Ljubiša Jocić was a poet, writer, painter, director, and an experimenter with form and meaning—but above all, a man of play and artistic exploration. His creative journey spanned half a century, leaving behind a rich body of work that includes poems, novels, anti-novels, plays, films, and paintings.
The memories of Easter and Christmas traditions are beautiful—customs that our children, especially our grandchildren, no longer know, yet they remain etched in our memories.
Before saying more about Easter traditions, I must first highlight what was difficult for us as children.
Reflecting on my journey aboard the "Miroslav" ship, I recalled two uncomfortable moments I experienced on the Tisza. They weren’t tragic, but they were thrilling enough to remain unforgettable to this day.
Hajnalka Zerebelji is the first female lawyer in Novi Bečej. After several decades of professional work, she has gained extensive experience, which she gladly shares with younger colleagues.
River passenger traffic held a significant place for Novi Bečej. In addition to the ferry and horse-drawn carriage transport to Stari Bečej, there was a smaller boat that made about ten round trips daily between Novi and Stari Bečej. This boat operated for many years, continuing even after World War II until the construction of the dam on the Tisa River and the bridge for road traffic in 1977. It connected the two neighboring towns of Novi and Stari Bečej and served as an important link between Srednji Banat and Srednja Bačka between the wars.
The most difficult year for Jedinstvo was 1933. After a generational change at the end of 1932, the club faced a weakened playing squad, while the pitch itself remained flooded until mid-June. Training sessions that schoolteacher Sava Mojić had begun regularly in the autumn of 1932 and resumed in March 1933 were interrupted as early as mid-April due to the flooded ground.
In the years leading up to World War II, the Jewish community of Novi Bečej lived much like the rest of the town’s population. They did not perceive the rise of fascist movements across Europe as an immediate threat to their survival, believing that, if war broke out, they would manage like everyone else. This belief was perhaps reinforced by the fact that there were very few ethnic Germans in Novi Bečej, and anti-Semitism was not openly felt.
Ivan Jovanović, an only child of Dragomir Jovanović, a merchant, and Zlata Jovanović, née Aranka Stanišić, a teacher, was born in Novi Bečej on February 13, 1928. The Jovanović family house was located in the heart of the town on Žarka Zrenjanina Street, number 1. While his father Dragomir was busy with the family business, Ivan mostly grew up alongside his mother and his aunt Leposava Jovanović, a teacher, who were known not only for their strictness but also for their versatility and fair pedagogical approach toward children.
Novi Bečej, along with Vranjevo, was a prominent trading center during the era of the Great Kikinda District, particularly known for its grain export trade in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
I do not consider myself an expert qualified to critically evaluate the literary work of Bogdan Čiplić. However, out of respect for him and from the memories of our friendship during the last ten years of his life, I will attempt to present—in the broadest terms—what I observed of his literary output.
This year, and specifically these days, marks exactly 20 years since the founding of the Tisa Watercolor Academy, which has been held continuously to this day. On all brochures, catalogs, monographs, and records of this watercolor art colony’s history, you will find undeniable facts that in 1995, Milorad "Miša" Berbakov, Zdravko Mandić, Grujica Lazarević, Đorđe Simić, and Vlastimir "Vlasta" Nikolić decided to establish this artistic colony in Novi Bečej, within the premises of the Workers' University on the Tisa River, under the auspices of the Cultural Center.
Vojislav Reznić was born in Novi Bečej on May 9, 1929, where he also received his education. He learned the craft of photography under Geza Sakač. After passing the craftsman’s exam, he worked in Melenci with photographer Pavle Homjakov. With three years of experience, in 1963 he returned to Novi Bečej and opened his own photography shop in the courtyard of the "Jadran" Hotel.
The Nature Park “Old Tisa” near Biserno Ostrvo covers an area of 391 ha, of which 6% is under the second level of protection, while the rest is under the third level. The protected area includes three municipalities: Bečej, Novi Bečej, and Žabalj.
Miloje Čiplić was born on February 25, 1912, in Novi Bečej.
His parents, both teachers in Novi Bečej, provided conditions for their three sons—Miloje being the youngest—to prepare themselves, undisturbed in a quiet and orderly family haven, to ascend higher on the hierarchical ladder of bourgeois society than they themselves had.
Drinking in front of stores in Serbia is not just a custom – it’s an institution! It dates back to the first store and the first bottle of rakija – essentially, since the dawn of time. Even the old craftsmen in the Ottoman period would take a “merak break,” drinking in front of shops while debating if it would rain.
On August 2, 1921, the Assembly adopted the Law on the Protection of Public Security and Order in the State, tightening measures against communists. This law prescribed harsh punishments for any communist activity, including the death penalty.
Folk songs like "Hey homesteads, I will come to you again..." or "Hey homesteads in the north of Bačka," with their exceptional melody and perhaps perfectly chosen words, awaken a longing for homesteads even in those who have never experienced their charms in reality.
